Submit a Claim for Payment in Arrears

If you have been separated from the military for more than one year, and you believe you’re entitled to funds from your Branch of Service for any reason, you may be eligible to submit a claim for payment in arrears to DFAS.

On This Page:

Do I qualify to submit a claim for payment in arrears?
What do I need for my claim to be considered?
How do I apply for a claim for payment in arrears?
Additional information about your claim for payment in arrears.

Do I Qualify to Submit a Claim for Payment in Arrears?

If you separated from service more than one year ago and believe they owe you money, you are eligible to submit a claim for payment in arrears to DFAS within six years of the date the claim accrued. DFAS does not process claims for military personal who separated less than one year ago. If you separated less than one year ago, and believe your service owes you money, please contact your former pay office to start the claim process.

Common reasons to submit a claim for payment in arrears MAY include:

Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH)
Bonus
Promotion
Readjustment Pay
Separation Pay

Disability Severance Pay
If you paid taxes on your disability severance pay, you could be due a refund. For additional information, visit Disability Severance Pay Tax Refunds.

What Do I Need for My Claim to be Considered?

To apply for a claim for payment in arrears you will need:

To be separated from your Branch of Service (BoS) for more then one year.
To submit the claim within six years of the date the claim accrued.

Documentation to support your request. Provide documents and rationale that describe why you feel your BoS owes you additional funds. If you reference a document in your claim, you must provide the document when submitting your claim. Supporting documentation MAY include any of the following:

DD Form 827	Email Traffic as Applicable	Pay Audits
DD Form 214	Enlistment Contract	Proof of Child Support Payments
DD Form 215 (correction to your DD Form 214)	Housing Contracts	Reenlistment Contract
DD Form 5960	IRR Agreement	Rent/Lease Agreements
Bonus Addendum	Leave and Earning Statements (LES)	ROTC Scholarship
Bonus Contract	Marriage License
Dependency Information	Memo From Bonus Incentive Manager With how Much is Due
Divorce Decree	Orders as Applicable

*Failure to provide supporting documents may delay or prevent consideration of your claim. Remember, the burden is on you to establish the liability of your BoS.

How do I Apply for a Claim for Payment in Arrears?

Submitting your claim for payment in arrears is as simple as 1…2…3… just follow the steps below:

1. Gather the Required Documents

To understand what documents are required, see What do I need for my claim to be considered? Failure to provide required documentation may result in a delayed final determination and/or a disapproved request.

2. Prepare

Complete boxes 1-7 on the DD Form 827 – Application for Arrears in Pay. Leave box 8 blank. Ensure you complete ALL required fields and include your full social security number on the document.

Fillable PDF: DD Form 827 – Application for Arrears in Pay, click here.

*Please note: You may need to right click to download or the save the documents to your computer before you are able to fill them out.*

3. Apply

Once you are ready, submit the completed form and other required documentation via AskDFAS within six years of the date the claim accrued.

How to Submit your Request via AskDFAS:

After submitting your claim via AskDFAS, a ticket number will be emailed to you for reference and updates on your request. Please keep this ticket number until a final determination.

Additional Information About Your Claim for Payment in Arrears

How Long Does it Take to Reach a Decision?

It takes approximately 60 days from the date DFAS receives your claim to process your information. If you submitted a claim more than 60 days ago, and want to check the status, visit AskDFAS.

Check the Status of your Claim Online via AskDFAS:

How to Submit your AskDFAS ticket:

Access AskDFAS here.
Under Categories, select ‘Claims’
Under Subcategories, select Claim for Payment in Arrears
Enter your information
Upload completed and signed DD Form 827 and supporting documents
Click Submit

After submitting your claim via AskDFAS, a ticket number will be emailed to you for reference and updates on your request. Please keep this ticket number until a final determination.

Disagreements

If you Never Received a Check from DFAS

It takes approximately 30 days from the date DFAS receives an approval to issue your check. If you received approval more then 30 days ago, and want to check the status, visit AskDFAS.